Topping arm for fence posts



Jan. 5, 1932. M. SKINNER TOPPING ARM FOR FENCE POSTS Filed April 13, 1931 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 unites stares PATENT orrrcs IvIORLE'Y SKINNFR,LOF KOKOMO, i'NDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL STEEL GORPORA- TION, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA TOIPPING- ARM FOE FENGE POSTS Application filed April 18,

This invention relates to fence construct on, and more part cularly has reference to topping arms for fence posts adapted for attachment to the top offence posts for sup- 5 porting preferably strands of barbed wire whereby to give additional fence protection to the property and further render to the completed fencing an ornamental appearance,

The invention has for its principal object o to provide a metal topping arm including a base member or casting adapted for securement and surmounting the upper end of a fence post, the central portion thereof hav ing an opening therethrough for the insertion of a top rail or line pipe, the upper end portion thereof providing an inclined support for securing thereto top arms adapted to extend forwardly therefrom vat diverging inclinations, one of said arms, being a long 0 arm, adapted to support and securea plurality of strands of wire, such as barbed wire, said arm adapted to preferably overlie the property being protected, whereas, the other arm, being a short or stub arm, is 5 adaptedto support and secure preferably one strand of wire, such as barbed wire, in a manner to overlie and be in the samevertical plane as the vertical stretch of fencing supported by said fence posts, such asin-dustrial 0 chain-link fencing, and to not overlie or extend beyond the division line established by said fencing. A

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this description and illustrating apreferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation, showing my improved topping arm secured to the top of a fence post, the latter supporting a stretch of fencing preferably of the industrial type, said post and fencingcut away for purposes of illustration and the post shown erected in the-ground;

Fig. 2 is a side View in elevation ofFig, 1, the lower end of the post and fence not shown;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, as the same would appear if taken on the line 33, of Fig. 1, and

1931. Serial No. 529,741.

poses, such as preventing climbing over the line of fencing and the intrusion of the fenced property, but I am not aware of a topping arm of the type herein disclosed which not only gives the required amount of top protection to the line of fencing whereby to prevent climbing thereovei from either side of the fencing through the agency of a m nimum num er of strands of wire, such as barbed Wire, supported by a pair of for- We y diverging arms, but also in addition,

the provision in such a topping arm wherein.

one of its said arms is a short .or stub arm as distinguished from its other diverging longer arm which is adapted to secure and support a plurality of strands of Wire, said stub arm being adapted to secure andsupport preferably a single strand of wire, such as barbed wire, in a manner whereby to'overlie and be disposed in substantially the same vertical plane as the line .of fencing therebeneat'h n o de hat such sing e st and of wire shall not extend beyondsaid division line established by said fencing thereby forestall the possibility of the questionof trespass being ever raised, and in addition,

said stub arm further eliminates the possibillty of causing injury to unwary stock or persons onthe adjacentproperty divided by the fencing since in a line of fencing employing my improved topping arms, said stub arms and strand of wire supported thereby will not protrude or extend beyond the line of fencing, as is believed will be understood.

Reference being had to the drawings, 1 designates a fence post, shown to be of the tubular type, although it is to be understood that my invention is not intended to be limited to any particular style or shape of post and the post disclosed herein is only shown for purposes of illustration, upon and between which fencing 2 of any desired type is adapted to be supported by the usual w1re fastenings 3 and stretched in the usual manner, the fencing shown herein being the well known and extensively used chain-link type of fencing used generally for protecting domestic and industrial properties. The fence post is shown in Fig. 1 as being erected in the ground A and suitably reinforced therein by a binder, such as cement B.-

3 designates the base member or casting ofmy improved topping arm, see Figs. 1, 2

and 3, the lower end portion of which is preferably constructed to form a tubular cap 4 whereby to fit over and embrace the upper end of preferably a tubular fence post, see Figs. 1 and 2. The base member or casting 3 is further provided with a centrally disposed portion 5 having an opening 6 therethrough for the insertion of a top rail or line pipe 7 which functions not only to serve as a supporting means for theline of fencing by means of the usual fastenings 3 but additionally as a locking means for preventing displacement of the base member or casting 3 of the topping arm from the fence post, the central portion 5 providing a simple and eflicient means to support said top rail,'see Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The central portion 5 surrounding said opening is shown embodying upstanding rib sections 8 adapted not only for ornamental design but for rendering the base member or casting strong and reinforced against likely structural failure, said rib sections terminating in an upper inclined table portion 9 from which extends an elongated and inclined arm support 10, best seen in Figs. 1 and 3.

An elongated wire, preferably barbed Wire, supporting arm or guard member 11 made preferably of metal and of channel form is adapted to have its connecting end disposed in juxtaposition to said inclined table portion 9 and to overlie and be supported by said inclined arm support 10 whereby said arm or guard member is arranged in an inclined position with its open side down, as shown. The upper or closed side of the arm 11 is provided with a plurality of preferably self locking notches 12 of a well known type to receive preferably ordinary barbed wire strands 13, as shown. Three such notches and. strands are shown provided in the arm 11 and at least this number are deemed essential to provide the desired qualities of protection, however, more as may be desired may be included in said arm but without further effectiveness than the number herein shown, since more strands than herein disclosed wouldonly add to the cost of the manufacture of the arm in providing additional notches and would add greatly to the cost of the additional footage involved in the extra strand or strands of barbed wire used, and as stated before, without added effectiveness.

A short or stub arm 14 of a design similar to the longer arm 11 is provided, the connecting end of which is bifurcated at 15 providing extensions 16 of-the side walls thereof whereby to straddle the base of the arm 11, the lower longitudinal edges of said extensions preferably abutting and being supported by the inclined table portion 9 of said base member or casting 3", the disposition of which effects said stub arm being disposed at a diverging inclination from said arm 11 shown'to be approximately a ninety (90) degree angle, although such divergence may be more or less as expediency or demand may require. To secure the arms 11 and 14 against displacement, the support 10, which constitutes the support for the arms 11 and 14, is provided with a centrally disposed opening 17 adapted to correspond with axial openings in the arms 11 and 14; through which is secured a fastening means, such as a rivet 18. The short or stub arm 14, like the longer arm 11, is preferably made of metal and of channel form and arranged with its open side down, the upper or closed side and near the end thereof provided with a notch or opening 12, of preferably the self locking type, for the reception and support of a wire strand 13, such as barbed wire. The

length and location of said stub arm and its opening 12 is adapted to be such that the strand 13 supported thereby shall overlie and be disposed in substantially the same vertical plane as the line of fencing erected therebeneath supported by said fence post and line pipe, thereby eliminating the overhanging or projection of said supported wire strand beyond said fencing and division line established thereby, thus obviating the raising of the question of trespass and chance of inflicting injury to unwary stock or persons.

What I claim is 1. An attachment for fence posts comprising a base member adapted at its lower end for connection to the upper ends of fence posts, said member at its upper end providing a support for the securement of a pair of topping arms at diverging inclinations with respect to each other, one of said arms 7 being a long arm and being provided with a plurality of wire holding means, the other of said arms being a stub arm and provided with a single wire holding means, and said member between said upper and lower ends thereof having a central opening for the insertion of a top rail.

2. An attachment of the character described, comprising a member having a portion adapted for connection with a fence post and with another portion arranged for a topping arm connection thereto, a pair of topping arms connected with said member at diverging inclinations, one arm being shorter than the other and having a straddling connection with said long arm and said member, the long arm being provided with a plurality of wire holding means and the short arm provided with a single wire holdingmeans.

3. An attachment of the character described, comprising a member having a tubular portion for connection with a fence post and an extension disposed at an inclination from the body of said member and at its point of mergence with the body being provided with offset shoulder portions forming abutting means for topping arm connections, the body of the member between its tubular portion and extension having an opening for the reception of a fence rail, a pair of topping arms disposed at diverging inclinations in relation to each other and fixedly secured to the extension of said member, one of said arms being a stub arm and provided with a single wire holding means and the other arm being a long arm and provided with a plurality of wire holding means.

4. In combination with a fence structure which includes posts and a fence fabric secured to said posts; of a topping arm construction for each post comprising a member arranged for connection with a post and with a portion disposed at an inclination to the axis of the post and away from the fence fabric and also provided with an opening therethrough for a top rail of the fence, a pair of topping arms fixedly secured to the extension of said member and disposed at diverging inclinations in relation to each other, one of said arms being a long arm and inclined away from the fence fabric and provided with a plurality of wire holding means, wire strands held by such means, the other arm being a stub arm and having a single wire holding means located approximately in the vertical plane of the fence fabric, and a wire strand held by such means.

5. In combination with a fence structure which includes posts and a fence fabric secured to said posts; of a topping arm construction for each post comprising a member having a portion adapted for connection with a post and an upwardly inclined extension portion; a topping arm connected with the extension portion of said member and leading therefrom at the same inclination thereof and provided with a plurality of wire holding means; and a second topping arm supported at a diverging angle to said first mentioned topping arm and secured thereto and having a wire holding means located above and approximately in the vertical plane of the fence fabric.

6. A topping arm structure for fencing,

comprising a member having a vertical portion for connection with a fence post and an upwardly inclined extension for supporting the topping arms, a topping arm of substantial length arranged for attachment to said extension and to extend therefrom at the same inclination as said extension and provided with wire holding means, and a second shorter topping arm arranged for attachment to the lower end of said first mentioned topping arm and to extend at a diverging angle therefrom and provided with a wire holding means for the location of a wire above and approximately in the vertical plane of the fencing with which said structure is adapted for association.

7. A topping arm structure for fencing, comprising a member having a short vertical tubular portion having an extension disposed at an angle to the axis of said tubular portion and spaced from the latter by a central portion having an opening therethrough bisecting the axis of said tubular portion, said extension and tubular portions merging into shouldered portions, a topping arm straddling said extension and leading therefrom at the same inclination as said extension and and having, its lower end abutting said shouldered portions, a second topping arm shorter than said first mentioned arm and straddling the same at an angle diverging therefrom and having an edge portion abutting said shouldered portions, and means to secure said arms to each other and to said extension. I

8. A topping arm structure for fencing, comprising a supporting member arranged for attachment to a post, a topping arm of substantial length having connection with said member and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle inclined from the axis of the body of the member and provided with wire holding means for sustaining wires offset to each other and to the body of the fencing, a second but shorter topping arm having connection with the lower end of said first mentioned arm and disposed at diverging angle thereto and provided with a wire holding means for the location of a wire above and approximately in the vertical plane of the fencing.

9. A topping arm structure for fencing comprising, in combination, a supporting member adapted for securement to the upper end of a post and provided with upwardly and divergently disposed wire supporting arms of unequal length, the longer arm having wire holding means normally positioned off-set to the vertical plane of the fencing and the shorter arm having wire holding means positioned above and in the vertical plane of the fencing.

, In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed by hand and seal this 9th day of April, 1931.

MORLEY SKINNER. 

